The prior art technique concerns so-called audio-visual dummies which are meant to be active: that means that they re-create the real presence of an individual. All the known techniques which aim at obtaining the illusion or the appearance of life in the dummy result from the projection of a film or of two or three-dimensional slides onto the head of the dummy, as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,973,840 and French Patent No. 2,293,023. The projection being synchronized with a sound recording, the dummy looks as if it had facial motions while giving a message. Known types of devices meet with many difficulties both in using and in providing a faithful reproduction of facial motions. The major difficulty in using such dummy results from the projection system which requires perfect lighting and adjustment, and therefore eliminates many possible uses as for example outdoor use. For someone using this type of dummy, it is very difficult, indeed impossible to create a visual and sound message on his own, since it requires a specific and time consuming preparation and production technique. Accordingly, the user is faced with a major inconvenience: the versatility of application of the dummy. The film or the slides made from a human face whose features have been used as a model for creating the facial features of the dummy, suppose the use of the head of the dummy which corresponds to that of the model. When facial movements will be projected onto the head of the dummy, there will always be either a slight time-lag or shadows because of projecting the face on a three-dimensional surface of about 180.degree..
It is an object of the present invention to find a remedy for the disadvantages above described.